Trump Says Zelensky is ‘not important’ for Meetings
US President Donald Trump has indicated that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky poses a challenge to negotiating agreements. Read Full Article at RT.com
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The US president stated that the Ukrainian leader’s presence would only "make it very hard to make deals."
In an interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Friday, US President Donald Trump expressed that Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, is "not very important" to have at meetings, suggesting that Zelensky complicates negotiations to resolve the conflict with Russia.
“He’s been at meetings for three years with a very, with a president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing,” Trump said, referring to his predecessor, Joe Biden, while dismissing Zelensky’s complaints about Ukraine not being represented during recent talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia.
“He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done. So I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings to be honest with you… He’s - he makes it very hard to make deals. But look what’s happened to his country, it’s been demolished,” Trump added.
Earlier this week, the US president labeled Zelensky a “dictator” for refusing to hold presidential elections and claimed that the Ukrainian leader has an extremely low approval rating in Ukraine.
When pressed by Kilmeade about whether Russia was to blame for the ongoing conflict, Trump avoided the question, suggesting that other parties were responsible. He reiterated his belief that the hostilities would not have begun if he had been in office at the time.
“Every time I say, oh, it’s not Russia’s fault, I always get slammed by the fake news. But I’m telling you, Biden said the wrong things. Zelensky said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger, which is a bad thing to do, and you don’t do that. But Russia could have been talked out of that so easily,” Trump asserted.
Relations between Kiev and Washington appear to have rapidly soured over the past week, with Trump and Zelensky, along with other senior officials from both nations, exchanging accusations. Zelensky has asserted that the US leader is "living in a disinformation bubble" allegedly created by Russia and has rejected a proposed deal allowing the US access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals as compensation for military aid. He has also disputed Trump’s claims regarding the amount of aid Kiev has received, stating it has not received even half of the stated sum.
On Wednesday, Trump characterized Zelensky as a “dictator without elections,” reiterated that the Ukrainian leader possesses an extremely low approval rating, and warned that Zelensky would not “have a country left” if he continues with his policies. Top US officials, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, have expressed that Trump has become frustrated with Kiev's rhetoric, labeling it as “unfortunate” and “unacceptable.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
In an interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Friday, US President Donald Trump expressed that Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, is "not very important" to have at meetings, suggesting that Zelensky complicates negotiations to resolve the conflict with Russia.
“He’s been at meetings for three years with a very, with a president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing,” Trump said, referring to his predecessor, Joe Biden, while dismissing Zelensky’s complaints about Ukraine not being represented during recent talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia.
“He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done. So I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings to be honest with you… He’s - he makes it very hard to make deals. But look what’s happened to his country, it’s been demolished,” Trump added.
Earlier this week, the US president labeled Zelensky a “dictator” for refusing to hold presidential elections and claimed that the Ukrainian leader has an extremely low approval rating in Ukraine.
When pressed by Kilmeade about whether Russia was to blame for the ongoing conflict, Trump avoided the question, suggesting that other parties were responsible. He reiterated his belief that the hostilities would not have begun if he had been in office at the time.
“Every time I say, oh, it’s not Russia’s fault, I always get slammed by the fake news. But I’m telling you, Biden said the wrong things. Zelensky said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger, which is a bad thing to do, and you don’t do that. But Russia could have been talked out of that so easily,” Trump asserted.
Relations between Kiev and Washington appear to have rapidly soured over the past week, with Trump and Zelensky, along with other senior officials from both nations, exchanging accusations. Zelensky has asserted that the US leader is "living in a disinformation bubble" allegedly created by Russia and has rejected a proposed deal allowing the US access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals as compensation for military aid. He has also disputed Trump’s claims regarding the amount of aid Kiev has received, stating it has not received even half of the stated sum.
On Wednesday, Trump characterized Zelensky as a “dictator without elections,” reiterated that the Ukrainian leader possesses an extremely low approval rating, and warned that Zelensky would not “have a country left” if he continues with his policies. Top US officials, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, have expressed that Trump has become frustrated with Kiev's rhetoric, labeling it as “unfortunate” and “unacceptable.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
